The Joint Operating Committee of the Carbon Career & Technical Institute voted Thursday to reduce the amount the five sending school have to pay for the 2025-2026 school year budget.

In response to the sending districts voting down the budget, CCTI slashed the contribution by $250,000. Board members split on the motion, which passed on a 3-2 vote. The three who voted for the motion were Thomas Connors, Renee DeMelfi, and Heather Neff. Alyson Krawchuk-Boschen and Gerald Strubinger voted no.

The proposed operating budget needs to be approved by July 1.

The contributions for districts have been reduced by Jim Thorpe Area School District, $56,800, a reduction of 22.72%; Lehighton, $59,300, a reduction of 23.72%; Jim Thorpe, a 22.72% reduction, or $56,800; Palmerton, $64,350, a 25.74% reduction; Panther Valley, $50,650, a 20.26% and Weatherly, $18,900, reduced by 7.56%

CCTI was sent back to the drawing board after Palmerton and Panther Valley rejected the school’s $9.58 million earlier this year. Approvals from four of the five sending schools are required for adoption.

In the proposed 2025-26 CCTI budget, cost shares were slated to be $1.47 million for Jim Thorpe, $1.51 million for Lehighton, $1.66 million for Palmerton, $1.23 million for Panther Valley and $438,271 for Weatherly.

In a memo to CCTI, Palmerton officials outlined three specific areas for reform focusing on fund balance reduction, policy overhauls and improved budget planning processes.

The first proposal requests an “Immediate Drawdown of Fund Balance” from CCTI.

“We request that you initiate an immediate drawdown of the fund balance, either through a check or a discount in payments for the 2025-26 school year, until the total fund balance reaches a maximum of 3 months operating expenditures,” the memo states. “This action is necessary to ensure more balanced financial management.”

A second proposal calls for “Policy Overhauls” including the “Implementation of Act 93 raises based on a yearly average of the sending schools act 93 personnel.”

The request also seeks policies limiting fund balances to “not exceed 3 months of the maximum yearly operating expenditures” and restrictions on “the capital reserve balance to ensure sustainability and effective financial planning.”

The district’s third recommendation requests “Yearly Budget Meetings” with personnel from all sending schools “including but not limited to the superintendent and business manager, prior to the Joint Operating Committee’s review of the budget.”

While Connors voted for the motion, he explained that he did so “for the common good’; but, that he feels differently about the motion.

“I think we normally show a lot of fiscal responsibility, and this goes against that,” Connors explained.

“I don’t think this is the best use of that money that was put in place for this school. I think it should stay in this school. There hasn’t been an increase in cost per student in 12 years. I don’t think any of the sending schools can say they haven’t raised taxes in 12 years. I think that goes to show how smooth this ship is running, and I think this expedites the process of it not running smooth anymore.”

DeMelfi said she agreed with Connors’ statement, although she still voted for the motion.

“I voted no because it doesn’t fix the problem; there needs to be a conversation,” Krawchuk-Boschen stated. “I voted no because CCTI needs the money more than Jim Thorpe does,” Strubinger said.

Jarrad Hedes contributed to this report.